Putting game



Oct. 30, 1928.

w. c. BRUMDER PUTTING GAME Filed July 51. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 W. C. BRUMDER PUTTING GAME Filed July 31. 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 30, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PUTTING GAME.

Application filed July 31, 1922. Serial No. 578,661.

My invention relates to games, and more particularly to a golf game.

It is a purpose of the invention to provide a putting game which will aid in teaching the player to not only hit the ball in such a manner as to direct it properly, but also to give the proper force to the stroke so as to propel the ballthe proper distance.

It is a further purpose. of the invention to provide means for returning the hall in the direction from the apparatus, in which the player is standing. If desired, indicating means maybe provided on the apparatus to indicate the distance that the ball has proceeded beyond what was desired, and desired, signal means may be provided to indicate when the ball has .been propelled in the right direction, said means being actuated by the ball.

It is a further purpose of the invention to provide apparatus for the above mentioned purpose, which comprises an inclined member provided with a re-curved portion for returning the ball in the direction of the player, no matter how hard the same is driven up the inclined member.

Other objects and advantages of the inven tion will appear as the description of the accompanying drawings, in which various forms of the invention are shown, proceeds. However, I' desire to have it distinctly understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the exact details shown or described, but that I intend to include as part of my invention all such obvious changes and modifications of parts as would occur to a person skilled in this art and as would fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the putting game apparatus Fig. 2 is a section thereof taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 3-is a perspective view of a different form of the apparatus showing indicating means thereon to indicate the distance the ball has traveled beyond the desired amount;

Fig. 4 is a similar View ofstill another form of the device embodying a signal means.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view partly in sectionoffthesignal operating means and the adjacent portions of the apparatus; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of still another form of the invention.

Referring in detail to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, my improved apparatus comprises a pair of side members 10 between which are mounted the transversely extending members 11 which form the runway for the ball. The runway and the corresponding portion of the members 10, it will be noted, are curved on a gradual curvature so as to provide a gradual incline on the portion '12 thereof extending from the ground or other surface upon which the apparatus is placed, and merging into a portion of sharper curvature 13 which recurves or curves back toward the player at the top edge 14: thereof, thus projecting the ball in the direction of the player and preventing the same from going to the rear of the apparatus. If desired, an opening or pocket '15 may be provided in the runway, said pocket being provided with a slightly in clined bottom 16, a top 17 and a curved rear wall 18 so as to cause the ball to return from the pocket and roll down the runway 12 if the same enters the pocket 15. 7

In using the apparatus it is assumed that the hole into which the ballis to be placed is located at the opening 15, thus if the ball enters the opening 15 it will indicate that the same has gone in the right directionand has been struck with the proper force to enterthe hole. If the ball is struck too hard, it will go up the incline beyond the opening 15, and if hit so hard that the same would go beyond the top of said incline,.then the ball will be returned to the player due to the recurved portion oft-he apparatus. In the form described it is assumed that thereis an incline approaching the hole, while in the form of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 it is assumed that the hole is located at the foot of the incline. r

In the form shown in Fig. 3, the side members 10' have the cross pieces 11' extending between the same forming the incline, comprising the gradually-curved portion 12 and the sharply recurved portion '13, similar to the portions 12 and 13 described in Figs. 1 and 2. The runway formed by the members 11 is provided with apair of parallel strips 19, which are provided with beveled end ortions 20 resting upon, the surface upon. Iich the apparatus is placed. It the hall is hit in the proper direction to reach the hole, which is assumed to be at the bottom of the incline, the same will pass between the beveled ends ot' the strips 19 and up the inclined surface a distance dependent upon the force with which the ball is struck. If desired, indicating characters 21, such as the numerals shown in Fig. 3, may be provided to indicate the distance that the ball travels up the incline, said numerals being of any desired character, either indicating the distance in feet or any arbitrary system of numbering that may be desired. In the form shown in Fig. 3 it will be noted that it the ball is struck so hard as to go beyond the top edge 14 of the appara' tus, the same will be returned in the direction of the player due to the recurved upper end portion of the incline or runway.

In Figs. 4 and 5, the side members 10 connected together by the cross pieces 11 are made in the same manner as the members 10 and 10, thus providing a runway having the gradually inclined portion 12 and the more sharply recurved portion 13 extending to the upper edge 14 of the apparatus. Strips 22, similar to the strips 19, are provided in this form of the device, but no indicating means, such as the numerals shown in Fig. 3, are used. It will be noted that the lower beveled end portions 23 of the strips 22 are located slightly inwardly from the lower edge 24 of the device. In this form of the apparatus it is assumed that the hole into which the balls are to be putted is located on the inclined surface 12 immediately in front of the ends 23 of the strips 22. An opening 25 may be provided at the place where Said hole is supposed to be located, and a trap door 26 may be provided for closing said opening, said door being pivoted at 27 so as not to interfere with the passage of the ball upwardly along the incline it struck with such force as to pass beyond the member 26. Any suitable means, such as the spring 28, may be provided for holding the trap door 26 in a normally upward position, said. spring being made of: such strength that the weight of the ball will cause the door 26 to move downwardly when the ball is upon the same. The spring 28 is positioned between the bottom member 29 secured to the inclined portion 12" by means of the upright 30 and the member 26. The member 29 has a contact 31 mounted thereon aligning with the contact 32 on the trap door 26 which may be made of conducting material. Any suitable signal means may be connected with said contacts, said means shown diagrammatically in Fig. 5 as comprising the electric bell 33 which is connected with a battery 34: by means 01' a conductor 35, the contacts 31 and 32 being connected respectively with the bell 33 and the battery 34 by means o l the conductors 36 and 37. It will thus be seen that when the ball strikes the plate 26,

the signal bell will be rung, thus indicating that the ball has been projected in the proper direction. The distance that the ball travels up the inclined portion between the members 22 will indicate the force with which the ball was driven toward the imaginary hole. On the other hand, if the ball travels along the inclined runway outside the strips 22, this will indicate that the ball has gone in the wron direction to reach the hole.

In Fig. 6 a slightly difierent form of the invention from that shown in Fig. 3, is shown. In this form the members 10 are connected by means of the cross members 11" forming the runway having the inclined portion 12 and the recurved portion 13". A supplemental raised. runway 38 is provided on said first mentioned runway, the lower end portion 39 of which projects beyond the lower end portion 40 of the main body portion of the apparatus. Said runway has a gradually curved inclined portion 41 and a recurved portion 42, similar to the portion 13 of the main runway. The runway of the member 38 is depressed be low the side flanges 4.3 so that if the ball enters the passageway between the members 43 it will either roll down said inclined runway between said members, or it will pass off of the same at the upper edge 44 thereof. Due to the fact that the recurved portion 42 is provided, the ball will be thrown toward the player when leaving the runway at said upper edge. In a similar manner, if the ball travels along the runway 12" and onto the recurved portion 13" and over the edge 14", it will be returned in the direction of the player. With the apparatus shown in F ig. 6 it is assumed that the hole into which the ball is to be put is located just forwardly of the edge 39 and in alignment with the member 38.

Having thus described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by U. S. Letters Patent is:

1. Game apparatus of the character described comprising a runway having an upwardly inclined portion and a recurved portion joining said upwardly inclined portion, and a pocket in said runway above the bottom of said inclined portion.

2. Game apparatus of the character described comprising a runway having an upwardly inclined portion and a recurved portion joining said upwardly inclined portion, and a pocket in said runway substantially at the junction of said portions.

3. A device of the character described comprising a runway having an upwardly inclined portion, .said runway having a recessed pocket in said portion presenting a hole, said pocket having no communication with 125 said runway except at said hole and projecting rearwardly from said runway.

An apparatus of the character described comprising a runway, a chamber opening onto said runway and forming a pocket in said mm 139 way, said pocket having means for project-- ing a ball from said pocket toward the front of said runway, through the same opening by which ball enters the pocket.

5. An apparatus of the character described comprising a runway, a chamber having only one opening leading to said runway and forming a pocket in said runway, said chamher having an inclined bottom for projecting a ball from said pocket toward the front of 10 said runway.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 19th day of June A. D., 1922. WILLIAM G. BRUMDER. 

